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Men Increasingly Getting Involved in Wedding Planning

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According to The Star: "Men are getting in on wedding mania and not just when it comes to deciding whether to roll up in a Hummer or stretch limo, groove to a live band or DJ or pair the food with a red wine from Napa Valley or Douro Valley. They’re involved in selecting centerpieces, clipping images from wedding magazines to post on vision boards and, yes, attending bridal shows to check out what’s new in nuptials."

"A lot of guys want the wedding to be a day that represents the couple," says Curtis Priest, 33, who was “very involved” in planning his wedding in September 2011. For this Star Trek fan, it helped ensure they had an ice sculpture of the Starship Enterprise.

Trevor Lui, director of operations and sustainability at the International Centre, which hosts two annual bridal shows. A few years ago he introduced the Groom Zone at a show complete with comfy couches, draft beer, chicken wings and a big-screen TV so men could unwind while the brides were checking out the show. Today, the men are more likely to accompany their fiancées.

"It’s not uncommon to see a groom and his groomsmen walk the show," says Lui, adding that men "aren’t ashamed to say ‘I want to be part of designing a wedding.’ Maybe back in the day it wasn’t so manly, but I think it’s looked upon differently these days."

Retailers are also taking note. Gift registries increasingly cater to the groom with such gifts as power tools, 3-D TVs and reclining chairs.

The Groom Room features accessories and groomsmen’s gifts, such as cuff links, pocket squares, colourful socks and cigars.

According to WeddingStats. org, the average cost of a wedding in 2013 is expected to increase slightly because of the active involvement of grooms and increased spending groom rings, accessories and gifts.

There are several reasons for an increase in men’s presence on the weddingscape beyond their simple desire to be involved. An important one is that since more couples are breaking with the tradition of getting the bride’s father to foot the bill, grooms are pitching in, both with their chequebook and their ideas.

Plus, partners are now older when they walk down the aisle according to Statistics Canada, the average age of a first marriage is 31 for men and 29 for women, compared with 40 years ago when it was 25 and 23, respectively. They’re probably better established in their career and relationship and may already live together, so it stands to reason that they’d collaborate on their big celebration.